A Long Way To Happiness
by Marblez
Summary: [The Silver Sword] This story coicides and joins the book but is about three children, Rudi, Dirk and Ruth Bhaer and all their troubles in occupied Poland...


Disclaimer; This is actually something I wrote on paper years ago and I just found it and copied it up, tweaking the bad grammar and stuff out of it because it was really bad. I don't own Edek or the other Balicki's but I have created Rudi, Dirk and Ruth.

A Long Way To Happiness

1942,

"Rudi! Rudi calm down! Don't go over exerting yourself! You know what the docter said about your chest!" Margot shouted as her 13 year old son ran around the dingy road with his friends. The family was one of many trying to live in Warsaw under the Jewish occupation, it wasn't easy since their father was taken away to a labour camp because the Nazi's suspected him to be a communist but they were struggling through.

"But Mama! Our side's winning!" Rudi shouted, gesturing to the the other boys on his 'side' who nodded. Margot would have spoken again about his chest had it not been for the Nazi truck speeding round the corner with a swuad of foot soldiers following it.

"Rudi! Get inside!" Similar shouts came from the other mothers about the street and the children made no complaints, running as fast as they could to what they thought was the sanctuary of their homes. Margot held Rudi tightly in her arms as she watched the soldiers rounding up the surviving older men and the boys around Rudi's age. Her grip on her son tightened as one of them came up to Rudi and took hold of his arm. "No! Don't take my son!" The Nazi growled and pulledo ut his Luger, pointing it at her head.

"Let go of him you filthy woman. Boy get over there with the others!" he growled. Rudi pulled away from both his mother and the Nazi before running over to the group of boys by the truck, all of whom were looking at the mothers in fear. "Are there any old men in this house?" Margot didn't answer. "I'll go and check for myself then." He pushed past her and entered there run down home.

Margot followed quickly and found him in the main room glaring at her youngest children Dirk who was 5 and Ruth who was 4. She rushed forewards and scooped up her only daughter while pushing Dirk behind her.

"Who's he mama?" Dirk asked quietly, poking his head out from behind her while his hands held her ragged skirt tightly.

"Please sir, there aren't any old men here, onyl me and my children. Please don't take Rudi, he's sick, please don't take him away," Margot tried to plead with him, holding a whimpering Ruth close to her. The Nazi simply growled at her again and aimed his Luger at Dirk's blond head which was poking around Margot's side.

"You stop complaining or I put a bullet in his head," the Nazi snarled, causing Dirk to give a small cry of shock and hide once again. With one last look around the room the Nazi stormed from the house. After placing Ruth on the floor by Dirk Margot ran to the front door just in time to see the old men, so smart and proud lined up against a wall and visciously shot.

A scream errupted from her mouth as did one from every other mother and child in the road, many began to cry. She could do nothing but watch as the boys were roughly pushed up into the back of ther truck. Dirk, holding Ruth's hand, walked up beside her and looked up at her tearfully.

"Where's Rudi going?" he asked in a small, scared voice.

"I don't know darling, but I'm sure he'll be fine," Margot whispered, laying her hand on her sons head. Rudi looked her way fearfully just before he disapeared into the covered truck.

"I wish papa was here," Ruth whispered, silver tears trailing down her cheeks, "He'd get Rudi back."

"So do I my darling, now why don't you both come inside and help me get dinner," Margot said, putting on a brave face for her children before leading them into the house, away from the other women crying fitfully over the bodies of their fathers or uncles.

Rudi coughed deeply, the harsh sound errupting from deep in his cheast. The truck was speeding through Warsaw quickly and every time it turned the boys were thrown about, some gaining scrapes and grazes from it. A few were crying but most were in a stunned sort of silence. All made a slight sound of shock as the truck stopped abruptly, sending them to the floor.

"He was caught smuggling cheese," a Nazi said loudl as a thin blonde boy was thrown into the truck. He pulled himself into the empty space by Rudi and pushed his hair back from his forehead with a grimy hand. The tailgate was slammed into place and the chain put in place.

"Hello, I'm Edek Balicki. Any idea where we're going?" he asked quickly, sounding amazingly calm. Rudi didn't know him at all so he diffinatly wasn't from their area of town.

"Rudi Bhaer and no, no idea at all." The truck engine started again the boys all gripped the seats as it started off again, swirving as violently as ever. The boys feel deathly silent as the truck moved further away from their homes and closer to somewhere that they did not even know.

Late at night the family of only 3 now were awaoken by the front door being kicked in and half a dozen Nazi's clomping through their home in their jackboots. Dirk sat up his bed, one he no longer had to share with Rudi, and heard the click of the door being locked. He jump out of bed, ignoring the coldness of the floor on his bare feet and pounded on the door with his small fists. He froze as he heard his mother scream for help and sounds of them struggling down the hall. His tears began to flow as she began to call for them.

"Mama?" Ruth had woken at the scream and was sat up in her little bed, a terrified look on her face. Dirk ran across to the filthy window in time to see his mother shot in the head, he blood splattering on the wall behind her.

"Mama!" he screamed. Ruth ran to the window as fast as her childish legs could carry her.

"Mama?" she asked pathetically, but upon seeing her mother lying in a pool of her own blood just outside the lock window she fell back onto her bum and began to sob in earnest, crying out for here mama, her papa and Rudi. All Dirk could do was cry along with her. They were alone.

As roughly as the boys had beent hrown into the truck the day before the Nazi's were even more rough in getting them out, pulling the so harshlythey fell onto their knees and cut them. They were then manhandled into a line to be inspected.

"Hmm, good lot by the looks of it," a man in typical farmers clothing commented looking the boys up and down.

"Except for that one at the back, he didn't stop coughing all the way here," 1 of the Nazi's said, nodding to Rudi as he pulled the last boy from the truck. Rudi felt a tickle in his throat which was a sign of a deep cough coming along and no matter how much he tried to stop it he nearly doubled over with the force of the cough.

"Sick is he?" the farmer asked angrily, walking down the line till he was infront of Rudi. His chin was pulled into a rough grip as the farmer looked at his pale face and watering eyes. "He can work it out of him, I have no space for sick workers. If he doesn't pull his weight you gentlemen can deal with him." He finally snapped. The Nazi's nodded, one resting a hand over his gun holster. The farmer moved on and Rudi started to shake, staring at the Nazi's so read yot kill him. Edek placed a gentle hand on Rudi's shoulder in a hope to calm the poor boy's fear. "Hans! Take them to the barna dn get them bedded down with the others. Any trouble and fetch me. I shall be entertaining our guests," he of course meant the Nazi soldiers who nodded to him.

"Yes papa," a boy a few years older than the group said obediantly before pushing the boy at the end of the line, "Start walking, the barns over there." The boys trudged in silence, Edek still holding Rudi who was starting to feal a little light headed.

"Joseph, I can't hear them any more," Mrs Canfe said worriedly from where she was leant agains the wall, trying to hear Dirk and Ruth in the next house.

"Good," Joseph snapped, he was not a cold hearted man but after hiding from the German's in a small cupboard he had become agitaded, and easilly crossed.

"Joseph. They're only little children with no mummy or daddy now, I shall get Kurt to go in and get them when he gets home as you won't," Mrs Canfe said decidedly, sitting in her chair.

"Fine woman, I'll go get them but only to stop you're blooming nagging," he snapped, stnding quickly. He strode out of his own home, stepping over the pitiful body of Margot and entered the next house down. He found the childrens room easily and saw the key left carelessly on the floor. He placed it in the lock and turned it while turning the handle. As the door swung open two little fists started pounding lightly on his stomach.

"I want my mama!" Dirk sobbed, exhaustion flowing from him. Joseph caught him gently and picked him up, putting the boy on his hip as he done when his own son Kurt had been younger. Dirk slumped against him sobbing as he moved forewards to picked the sleeping Ruth up. He carried them down the hall and out of the front door, moving quickly so they wouldn't stare at their mothers body. Mrs Canfe took Ruth from him gently, wrapping the girl in a ragged blanket. Joseph dropped Dirk into a chair.

"I'm gonna put Mrs Bhaer in her house," Joseph said quietly before leaving once again. Dirk was crying in the chair, rubbing his eyes. Mrs Canfe quickly placed Ruth in her own bed and pulled the covers up around the small girl before going to her poor brother and pulling him int oher arms.

"Hush now little one, it's alright," she whispered quietly. Dirk clung to her, wanting the comfort she was giving. Slowly he sobbed himself into a dreamless sleep.

A/N There we go, there is more but I haven't copied that up yet. I wasn't going to put it up at all but it actually struck me as being sweet because I couldn't remember writing it. Hope you atleast liked it but you can have hated it if you wanted.


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